Since moving in with the guys over at IZM—furniture designers—we felt it was appropriate to share our feelings on collaborative workspaces—specifically in Edmonton. We have it pretty good here at IZM, with plenty of space that we wouldn’t have had at the other places we took a look at. We have an office, and plenty of room for our CNC machine and 3-D printer. We also now have access to plenty of other equipment and skilled designers to teach us a thing or two—cause you can’t know everything. We managed to find a great place that fits our needs as our company continues to grow. There are plenty of collaborative workspaces in Edmonton—enough so to fit your needs as designers and creative types. But how do you find the perfect space for you?

There is an explosion of collaborative workspaces here in Edmonton—Lucky for all us creative types. There are spaces for designers, artists, or even those in the start-up arena where like-minded people can come together and work on projects with access to the things they never knew they needed. The plusses to having these types of co-working spaces in a city such as Edmonton are—although not endless—pretty amazing.

They work well as networking spaces for the creative community and build connections between industries. In places such as Vacancy Hall you have designers artists and creative types each with their own space and different disciplines and mediums under the same roof—even collaborating on projects from time to time. There are plenty of more specific spaces for industrial designers, and graphic designers—allowing for those in the same industry to connect, learn, and build on existing skills. Places like Timbre and Homestead allow for individuals cut from a similar cloth to come together and work on their projects and evolve with the creative community.

For a small fee you can connect with these networks and have a workspace. This is a big deal for young designers and companies who want to save a buck or two and need to metaphorically—or literally—move their work out of their mom’s basement. These workspaces are not just for those with their training wheels on. Seasoned veterans can also learn and expand their skills, while being connected to all the equipment, technology, and desk-space that might not have had before—and possibly become a mentor for all of the little ones still in the toddler stage of the professional career. That being said, bigger companies or those with lots of work coming in might be a little underwhelmed by the amount of space that these collaborative workspaces provide.

Collaborative workspaces are just what the doctor ordered here in Edmonton. With the steady growth of the design and arts community here, it was only a matter of time before we saw them popping out here and there—now we have more than we can count. These spaces are perfect for those who are looking for the next step in their career or practice—and even the veteran who’s looking to build their skills and connect with other like-minded people. If you feel like this is the perfect next step for you and/or your business, you can checkout some of the collaborative workspaces in our great city at Cowork Edmonton.